Do you sleep better with a taped mouth?

Top athletes supposedly swear by it: sleeping with a taped mouth. Mouth taping is also appearing more and more frequently in the media and on social media. The idea: if your mouth stays closed, you breathe through your nose and sleep better. Better, at least, than with your mouth open.

But is that right? During the corona pandemic, a lot of people cried murder for not getting enough oxygen because they had to wear a face mask. So what is mouth tape good for? Is it healthy? Why would you tape your mouth and with what? And how does it really feel? I tried it myself. Time to dive deeper into it!

Why would you tape your mouth?

If you search for real fans of ‘mouth taping’, or taping your mouth shut, you often read stories from elite athletes, performance coaches and dentists. They point out the benefits to your health, as you force yourself to breathe through your nose. What are the benefits, according to this group of people?

• More calm: Breathing through the nose helps to calm your body and reduce stress.
• Less snoring: When you are forced to breathe through your nose, your throat can stay open and you reduce the likelihood of snoring. This is one of the most well-known benefits of sleeping with a taped mouth.
• Better sleep quality: Breathing through the nose is said to improve your sleep quality. This is because it helps you breathe deeper and slower, which gives your body more oxygen and helps you relax.
• Less dry mouth: People who sleep with their mouths open or always breathe through their mouths will find that their mouths dry out more quickly. Breathing through your nose can reduce this.
• Reduced allergies: Breathing through the nose filters and warms the air before it enters the lungs. This can help reduce the symptoms of allergies.
• Fewer dental problems: Think cavities, bad breath and gum disease. If you breathe mostly through your mouth, your mouth dries out faster and there is less saliva. Its presence naturally protects your teeth.

What happens when you sleep with your mouth open?

During the night, your body breathes best through your nose. If you breathe through your mouth, you are more likely to suffer from:

• A dry mouth
• Snoring
• Sore throat

Your teeth also suffer. Researchers at the University of Otago (New Zealand) showed in a study that your mouth becomes more acidic if you breathe through your mouth at night. To do this, they blocked the participants’ noses with a clip, so without mouth tape. A more acidic mouth increases the risk of tooth erosion and cavities because the protective layer of saliva dries out. That is why some dentists recommend mouth tape.

How do you know if you sleep with your mouth open?

You usually notice it in the morning: a dry mouth, a sore throat, or bad breath upon waking up. Snoring is also an indication. Not sure? Ask your partner to pay attention to your breathing, or record a night of sound with an app.

Is mouth tape dangerous? For whom is it not recommended?

Breathing through your nose has real, proven benefits. However, taping your mouth shut is drastic and not for everyone. These are valid reasons to avoid doing it:

1. More restless sleep: Some people find it highly uncomfortable and sometimes even frightening to sleep with a taped mouth.
2. Breathing problems: If you have trouble breathing through your nose, for example due to a cold, allergy, or a deviated septum, taping your mouth can obstruct your breathing.
3. Insufficient oxygen: This is downright dangerous! If your body does not get enough oxygen or if you cannot exhale enough carbon dioxide, it is bad for your health. Taping your mouth completely shut is drastic, remember that!
4. Irritated skin: Use hypoallergenic mouth tape and tape best vertically. This way you avoid skin irritation and sore lips when you remove the tape.

Also be aware that there is no scientific evidence yet that mouth tape actually makes you sleep better. Even though top athletes from football, tennis, and cycling claim it does. Don’t forget that they almost all have professional and medical supervision. Are you considering sleeping with a taped mouth? Then talk to your doctor beforehand, especially if you snore or suspect sleep apnoea. Do you feel short of breath, start hyperventilating, or feel unwell? Then stop immediately.

Which tape do you use and how do you start?

Definitely do not use regular adhesive tape or standard plasters! There are special, skin-friendly, and medically sound mouth patches or tape for sale at the pharmacy or drugstore. Start with short periods and gradually build up the duration so your body can get used to it.

1. Get completely ready for bed first.
2. Only apply the tape once you are in bed.
3. Start with a vertical strip over the middle of your lips, so you still have some air through the corners of your mouth.
4. Try it first during the day or during a nap so you get used to the feeling.
5. Do you feel short of breath, do you panic, or is your nose blocked? Remove the tape immediately.

It takes a little courage, preparation and persistence. This is clear.

Self-tested: a night with mouth tape

Of course, I wanted to try it myself. I usually already breathe through my nose at night, and consciously breathing through my nose helps me fall asleep faster. But a tape over your mouth is something else entirely.

First attempt: mouth completely closed. That felt oppressive. I was ready to sleep, but tension was racing through my body. What if my nose gets blocked or if I crawl under the covers? After a short time, I felt like I couldn’t breathe deeply enough and I removed the tape.

Second attempt: a vertical strip. This way I could still get some air through the corners of my mouth. That immediately felt better and I even fell asleep. In the middle of the night, I woke up and was startled for a moment because I couldn’t open my mouth. I took the tape off and went back to sleep. In the morning, I noticed I was just breathing through my nose.

Way	My experience
Mouth completely taped shut	Frightening, feeling that I wasn’t getting enough air
Vertical strip	Better: breathing through the corners of the mouth, still fell asleep
No tape, consciously breathing through the nose	For me the best way

My conclusion: it can work, especially if you snore and stay calm with the tape on. Your partner will notice the difference. For me, it’s not the answer: consciously breathing through my nose when falling asleep works better and feels a lot less threatening. It was, however, only a short test.

How do you make sure you breathe through your nose at night?

Nasal breathing clearly has benefits. Breathing through your nose allows you to breathe deeper and slower, and the air is warmed and filtered before it reaches your lungs. But taping your mouth shut might be a bit too drastic for you. You don’t have to! Many people even sleep worse because of it.

There are less invasive methods than mouth tape. Consider a strap over your head and under your chin (chin strap), a nasal dilator, a nasal strip, or specific exercises with the help of a speech therapist or physiotherapist. A Belgian start-up even developed a handheld breathing tool to help you breathe more calmly. With their ‘Moonbird’, they also promote nasal breathing.

Or simply: practice breathing consciously through your nose when you go to sleep. That works best for me. And talk about it with your doctor or dentist. They often have more than enough experience to give you expert and sound advice.

Also read: the difference between snoring and sleep apnoea and sleeping with earplugs.